INTRODUCTION TO

COMPUTER
PROGRAMMING
Maxwell Okumu
Computer programming
Computer Programming is defined as the process
of creating computer software using a
programming Language. Computer programs are
written by Human
individuals(Programmers)
A computer program is a step by step set of
instructions that a computer has to work through
in a logical sequence in order to carry out a
particular task. The computer executes these
instructions (obeys the instructions) when told to
do so by the user.
Programming Languages
Programming languages are the vocabulary and
set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer
to perform specific tasks. There are many different
types of programming languages each having a
unique set of keywords (words that it
understands) and a special syntax (grammar)for
organising program
instructions.
Syntax
Syntax refers to the spelling and grammar of a
programming language. Each program defines its
own syntactical rules that control which words the
computer understands, which combinations of
words are meaningful, and what punctuation is
necessary. Text-based programming languages are
based on sequences of characters, while visual
programming languages are based on the spatial
layout and connections between symbols (which
may be textual or graphical).
 Example of a program code
PYTHON)
# Define a function to convert temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius
def fahrenheit_to_celsius(temp_f):
# Formula to convert temperature
temp_c = (temp_f - 32) * (5/9)
# Return the result
return temp_c

# Accept temperature in Fahrenheit from the user as input

temp_f = float(input("Enter temperature in Fahrenheit: "))

# Call the conversion function

temp_c = fahrenheit_to_celsius(temp_f)

# Print the result

print("Temperature in Celsius: {:.2f}".format(temp_c))
 Small Basic

Explanation:
 The fahrenheit_to_celsius function takes a temperature in Fahrenheit

as an argument and converts it to Celsius using the formula (temp_f

- 32) * (5/9).
 The input function is used to accept temperature in Fahrenheit from

the user, which is then converted to a float using the float function.
 The converted temperature in Celsius is then printed using the print
function, with a formatted string to show 2 decimal places.
There are many computer programming languages
and so the programmer will have to decide which
one to use for solving a particular problem. These
languages must be learnt just as Swahili, English or
French etc.
Levels of programming languages
Programming languages are classified into five
major categories: machine languages (first
generation languages), assembly languages
(second generation languages), third generation
languages, fourth generation languages, and
natural languages. Machine and assembly
languages are referred to as low level languages;
third generation, fourth generation and natural
languages are categorised as high level languages.
A low level language is machine dependent; that
is, it is written to run on one particular computer. A
high level language is machine independent, which
means the high level language code can run on
many different types of computer.
There are two types of low-level programming
languages: Machine Language and Assembly
Language.
Machine language – First
Generation Language
(1GL)
The machine language writes programs using the
machine code of 1s and 0s, which is directly
understood by the computer.
The main problems with using machine code
directly are that it is very easy to make a mistake,
and very hard to find it once you realise the
mistake has been made.
Characteristics of
1GL to execute because it is already in the language
Fastest
that the computer can understand
Difficult to interpret (requires the aid of a reference
manual to interpret the meaning of each code)
Easy to make mistakes in the sequence of 1s and 0s;
replacing a 1 for a 0 can result in the wrong
command/instruction being
executed
It is difficult to identify mistakes
made
Time-consuming and tedious to write
Machine dependent
Programing becomes more difficult as the complexity
Assembly language – Second
Generation Language
(2GL)
Assembly language is written using mnemonic codes
(abbreviated English words) or short codes that
suggest their meaning and are therefore easier to
remember. These codes represent operations,
addresses that relate to main memory, and storage
registers of the computer. Typical codes might be:
LDA, STO, ADD, NOP, etc.
An example of a program code to add and store two
numbers would be:
LDA A, 20 : load accumulator A with the value 20
ADD A, 10 : add the value 10 to accumulator A
STO B, A : store contents of accumulator A into
storage register B

NOP : no operation (stop

here)
Characteristics of
2GL
As with machine language, assembly language is
machine dependent.
Assembly language, being machine dependent, is
faster and more efficient in the use of hardware
than high-level programming languages.
Assembly languages have to be translated into
machine language by language translators known
as assemblers for the processor to understand.
Easier to write than machine language
The code is not very easy to understand, hence the
High-level programming
languages
High level programming language is defined as one
that is machine independent and uses variables and
objects, Boolean expressions, functions,
loops, arrays, threads, locks which are similar to their
meaning
(abstraction).
High-level languages have evolved over the years
and can be grouped into five categories: Third
Generation Languages (3GL), Fourth Generation
Languages (4GL), Object Oriented Programming
Languages (OOP), Fifth Generation Languages
(5GL) and Scripting
These languages are problem oriented, so they are
machine independent.
Since high-level languages reflect the logic and
procedures used in a human algorithm, the
programmer is able to concentrate on developing
task algorithms rather than on how the computer
will carry out the instructions.
the programmer must still specify a complete set of
detailed instructions. The words and grammar of
high-level languages are English-like and this makes
the programs more readable and easy to write.
high-level languages are machine independent (they
can be used on different computer systems); Since the
syntaxes of high-level languages are standardised, the
languages are portable.
A high-level language is governed by a strict syntax (set
of grammatical rules).
they are easier to read, write, and maintain.
They also permit faster development of large programs.
programs written in a high-level language must be
translated into machine language by a compiler or
interpreter.
Characteristics of high-level
languages
They are machine independent hence portable
They are user friendly and easy to learn
High-level language programs are easy to debug
They are more flexible hence they enhance the
creativity of the programmer, increasing
productivity
They are executed much slower than low-level
programming languages
They have to be translated into machine code
before execution, this is done by compilers and
Assemblers.
One instruction translates into several machine code
Assemblers and Compilers
Assemblers and Compilers are programs that
convert high level languages into machine code.
A Compiler is a program that converts the entire
source code(compiles it) into machine language at
one time before the computer can run the
program at a later time. While compiling the
source code into machine code, it checks that the
syntax is properly written by the programmer for
the programmer to debug the program.
The interpreters are programs that translates the high
level program code one statement at a time, that is, it
reads a code statement, converts it to one or more
machine language instructions, and then executes the
instruction before moving translating the next code
statement in the program. If there is any error in the
statement, the programmer can correct the error
before the interpreter evaluates the next statement.
Interpreters are slower than Compilers because
interpreters convert a statement at a time and runs it
before moving to the next line.
Object-Oriented programming
(OOP)
Object-oriented programming (OOP) is a
programming language model organized around
objects and data.
In OOP, the programmer packages the data and the
program procedures into a single unit called an
object. The procedures in the object are called
Operations(Methods or behavior), and the data
elements are called attributes(Variables); this means
that a part from looking at the data structure, the
methods associated with that object used to modify
the object’s attributed must be
A method is an operation or function which can
modify an object’s behavior i.e. that changes an
object by manipulating its variables, a function is a
sequence of commands or programming code that
returns a value (sends a result back). Think of it as
"What method would you use to add two numbers
together?"
The concept of packaging methods and attributes into a
single object is what is known as
encapsulation(information
hiding)
And Object may be part of a larger category of objects
called a Class; every object in a class share the similar
methods and attributes as the original object. Each class
can have one or more lower levels called sub-classes, the
higher level class is called a super class.
Each subclass inherits the methods and attributes of the
objects in its super-class. This concept of the lower levels
inheriting methods and attributes of higher levels is
Illustration of relationships
between classes and objects
Motor
vehicle

Truck Car Motorcycle

Fire truck

Delivery
Truck

Dump
truck
Major high level programming
languages used
FORTRAN (FOTmula TRAnslator)developed in the
late 1950s developed to design scientific
application
sCOBOL (Common Business Oriented Language)
developed in early 1960s to develop business
applications
.RPG (Report Program generator) was developed in
early 1960s to assist in generating reports and
complex
calculations.
BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose symbolic instruction
code) developed in mid 1960 Basic versions include
MS-BASIC, QBASIC, SmallBASIC and visual basic.
Pascal was developed in the late 1960s for the
purpose of teaching structured programming
concepts
C developed in the early 1970s to write system
softwar
eAda was developed in the late 1970s originally
developed to meet the needs of embedded
computer systems
C++ developed in the 1980s is an object-oriented
language mainly to develop application
software
Note that in addition to the major languages
discussed above, there are many other
programming languages that have been developed
such as JavaScript, and Python
Language Translators
Language translators are system programs that
convert assembly language and high-level
language into the machine language.
The computer does not understand assembly
languages or high-level languages. Computers
work in machine code or machine language.
Source code
Source code is a program code of either an
assembly language or high-level language that the
programmers write in a program editor. Source
code cannot be understood by the computer until
it has been translated into machine code.
Object code
Object code is a program code in machine-
readable form (a source program that has been
translated).
Assemblers
The assembly-language program must be
translated into machine code by a separate
program called an assembler. The assembler
program recognises the character strings that
make up the symbolic names of the various
machine operations, and substitutes the required
machine code for each instruction.
Compilers
Compilers are language translators that translate
high-level languages into machine code.
A compiler translates the entire program (source
code) to machine code, and then the code is
executed. The translated codes are known as object
codes and are saved as a file on disk. The object code
(machine code) stored on disk has an EXE file name
extension. It is then loaded or linked (stored in
memory) and executed
How a Compiler works
Interpreters
Interpreters are language translators that translate
high-level language into machine code. An
interpreter translates and executes one instruction
at a time as it is encountered. The machine codes
are not saved after
execution
How an Interpreter works
The program development life
cycle (PDLC)
During the development of a program there are
several stages. These can be described by the
Program Development Life Cycle (PDLS)which
has several steps which lead to the solution of
the problem.
PDLC is the continuous process that consists of
five/six general steps:
1. Analyse problem
2. Design program
3. Code program
4. Test program
5. Formalise program
6. Maintain program
PDLC
Problem analysis
This involves problem recognition, which involves
identifying the need to overcome a given problem
for example, the need for a school to process
students marks and grade accurately at the end of
term and problem definition, which involves
identifying the users program objectives, desired
inputs, outputs, and processing.
 Defining the
problem
In defining the problem there must be no ambiguity. The
problem should be clear and concise and have only one
meaning.
Examples of unambiguous problems are:
i) Calculating the price of an item after a 10%
discount
ii) Converting a temperature from ° C to ° F
iii) Computing the average rainfall for the month of May
in a certain place.
Analysing the problem

In order to develop an algorithm to accomplish a

certain task you must analyse the task as a
sequence of instructions that can be performed by
the computer.
These instructions can be divided into three main
parts: input and storage instructions, processing
instructions, and output
instructions.
Input and storage
instructions
These instructions allow information or data to be
accepted by the computer. The input is
information that is needed by the computer to
solve the problem. Words such as ‘Enter’, ‘Input’
and ‘Read’ within problem statements usually
indicate what data the computer requires.
What are the input and storage instructions
here?
Read the price of an item and calculate the
discount of 10%.
Enter the name and year of birth of a person and
calculate the person’s age.
Input the length of a side of a square tile and find
the area.
Let’s analyse these instructions to determine the
inputs and what we need to store:
Read and store the price of an item.
Enter the name and year of birth of a person.
Input the length of the side of a square
tile.
Processing
instructions
These instructions manipulate the input data. They
involve calculations, that is, mathematical
operations (e.g. addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division), repeating instructions,
selecting instructions and comparison instructions.
They also include commands and constructs.
A command is a word that instructs the computer
what must be done to accomplish a specific task.
Commands are specific to a particular
programming language: for example, WRITE,
PRINT, READ, INPUT, etc.
A construct is a group of instructions that work
together with commands to accomplish a specific
task. An example is the ‘IF-THEN’ construct:
Example of a construct
IF a < 10 THEN
READ Num
ENDIF
What are the processing instructions
here?
Read the price of an item and calculate the new
price after a 10%
discount.
Enter a temperature in degrees Celsius and convert
it to degrees Fahrenheit.
Input the name and year of birth and compute and
print the age of a person.
Let’s analyse these instructions to determine what
we need to process.
Calculate the new price after a 10%
discount.
Convert it to degrees Fahrenheit.
Compute the age of a person.
Repeating and comparison
statements
Comparison/selection/decision statements involve
determining whether a condition is true or false in
order to perform a set of instructions.
For example:
Read the weekly hours worked by an employee. If
the hours worked are greater than 40, then
calculate the overtime salary at 1.5 times the
standard hourly rate of $1.75, for those hours over
40.
The condition that is checked is the number of
hours worked to determine if it is more than 40.
Repeat statements/loops/iterations are used when a
problem has to be done a number of
times.
For example:
Read the marks for three subjects, English, Maths
and ICT for each student; find the average mark of
each student in a class of 15, over the three
subjects.
The process of finding the average for the three
subjects has to be repeated 15
times.
Output
instructions
These instructions allow information to be displayed
on the screen. Problem statements that include key
words like ‘print’, ‘output’, ‘display’, ‘return’ and
‘write’ indicate what data should be output to the
screen.
What are the output statements here?
Enter the name and year of birth of a person and
compute and display the age of the person.
Write an algorithm to print a conversion table of
degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit, 10 C to
20 C inclusive.
Let’s analyse these instructions to determine what
we need to output.
Display the age of the person.
Print a conversion table.
Program design
This is the actual development of a program’s
processing logic. The program’s processing logic is
called its algorithm. An algorithm is a sequence of
instructions which, if followed, produces a solution
to the given problem. At the end of each
instruction, there is no question as to what needs
to be done next, and the instructions eventually
come to an end. An algorithm is written using
special rules and statements
Example of an algorithm
Algorithm:
Read student name and marks obtained.
Calculate total marks and average marks.
Write student name, total marks, average marks.
Program design involves three tasks:
(i) grouping the program activity into
modules
(ii) develop a solution algorithm for each module.
An algorithms are well defined rules for solving a
problem
(iii) test the solution
algorithm
The first task that involves grouping tasks into
modules focuses on what must be done
(requirements) where the Top-bottom design is
used. This involves breaking down the program
into smaller, manageable components represented
graphically on a hierarchy chart; the top most
showing the main module referred as the main
routine, which is then subdivided into smaller
sections also referred to as sub-
routines.
Each module is represented by a rectangle labeled
by its name.
 Drop-down chart

Process exams

Read input Computer marks Generate output

Read student Calculate Determine Rank the

marks record Calculate average grade student
Total marks Generate Generate Student
marks exam report form
analysis
report
Design details using Pseudo-code,
flowcharts and control
structures
Once the essential logic of the program has been
determined through the use of top-down
programming and hierarchy charts, you can now
work on the details. The two ways to show
program details are writing the details using
pseudocode or drawing the details using
flowcharts, or
both.
Pseudo-code
A Pseudo-code is an algorithm that models or
resembles the real programming language of the
computer. A Pseudo-code can also be defined as a
tool for designing a program in a narrative form
using human language statements to describe the
logic and processing flow.
 Pseudocode
START
READ student name, mark1, mark2, mark3,
mark4
Totalmarks = mark1 + mark2 + mark3 + mark4
Averagemark = Totalmarks / 4
PRINT student name, totalmarks,
averagemarks
STOP
Pseudo-code commonly used
keywords
Several keywords are often used to indicate
common input, output, and processing operations.
Input: READ, OBTAIN, GET
Output: PRINT, DISPLAY, SHOW, writeline
Compute: COMPUTE, CALCULATE, DETERMINE
Initialize: SET, INIT
Add one: INCREMENT, BUMP
Program flow
chart
A program flowchart is a diagrammatic
representation of a program’s processing logic. It
uses standard symbols called ANSI symbols (called
after the American National Standards Institute
that developed them) and short statements that
describe various activities. A flowchart shows how
your program works before you begin actually
coding it.
Program flowchart
symbols
AN EXAMPLE OF A FLOW CHART

Begin

ENTER TWO
NUMBERS;A,B

CALCULATE SUM=A+B
AVERAGE = SUM/2

AVERAGE
GRADE = “B”
>=60?

GRADE =“A”

PRINT
SUM,AVERAGE
AND GRADE
Flowchart (input-
output)
Lamp
flowchart
Structured program designs
When designing a program, you must reason through
the problem to determine the correct logic. The logic
of a program can be established through the use of
control structures. Structure design involves
identifying the logical order of the procedure required
to accomplish the task described in a given module.
This procedure is what is known as the solution
algorithm or program logic.
Control structures or logic structures/constructs
control the logic sequence in which computer program
instructions are executed.
Four basic control structures are used to form the
logic of a program in structured program design:
sequence, selection, case and iteration
(loop).
The Sequence control structure
The sequence structure is used to show a single
action or one action followed sequentially by
another e.g. reading a record, followed by
calculating totals and averages and then printing
the averages.
Sequence control structure
Action 1
(Read students
record)

Action 2
(calculate Total)

Action 3
(Calculate average)

Action 4
(rank students)
The Selection control structure
then-else)
(if-
Selection is a process that allows a computer program
to compare values and then decide what course of
action to take based on a certain
condition.
The selection structure therefore is used to tell the
program which action to take next, based on a certain
condition; when the condition is evaluated, its result is
either true or false : if the result of the condition is true,
then one action is performed; if the result of the
condition is false, a different or no action is performed.
For example, a condition that if the average mark
is 50 and above, the student is passed, or else, the
student fails. i.e. if a condition is true, then do one
thing, else do another.
Because of the above, the selection structure is
also known as the if-then-else control
structure.
IF score >= 60 THEN
Comment = "Pass"
ELSE
Comment = "Fail"
ENDIF
PRINT comment
Selection control structure
flowchar
t
Test No
ELSE statement
condition

Yes

THEN statement
If ..then.. else
If(age <30)Then
TextWindow.WriteLine("too young ")
Else
TextWindow.WriteLine(“too old ")
endif
If (Clock.Hour < 12) Then
TextWindow.WriteLine("Good Morning
World")
EndIf
If (Clock.Hour >= 12) Then
TextWindow.WriteLine("Good Evening
World")
EndIf
Case control structure
The case control structure is a variation of the
selection structure that involves more than a single
yes-or-no decision. The case structure allows
several alternatives or cases to be presented. The
case control structure saves the programmer the
trouble of having to indicate a lot of separate IF…
THEN…ELSE
conditions.
Example of an IF…THEN…ELSE structure involving several alternatives:

IF score <= 100 AND score >= 80 THEN

grade = "A"
ELSE IF score >= 75 AND score <= 79 THEN
grade="A-"
ELSE IF score >= 70 AND score <= 74 THEN
grade = "B+"
ELSE IF score >= 65 AND score <= 69 THEN
grade = "B"
ELSE IF score >= 60 AND score <= 64 THEN
grade = "B-"
ELSE IF score >= 55 AND score <= 59 THEN
grade = "C+"”
ELSE IF score >= 50 AND score <= 54 THEN
grade = "C"
ELSE
grade="F"
ENDIF
PRINT grade
Example of case structure
involving several alternatives
CASE score OF
80 – 100: grade = "A"
75 - 79: grade ="A-"
70- 74: grade = "B+"
65 - 69: grade = "B"
60 - 64: grade = "B"”
55- 59: grade = "C+"
50- 54: grade = "C"
0-49: grade="F"
END CASE
PRINT grade
The other possible selection control structure is
known as a case control structure which is used
where a condition can yield one of more than two
possibilities. Using the
If....Then....ElseIf statement.
If....Then...ElseIf Statement
If there are more than two alternative choices, using
just If....Then....Else statement will not be enough. In order to provide
more choices, we can use the If....Then...ElseIf Statement. The general
format for the if...then.. Else statement is
If (condition) Then
expression
ElseIf condition Then
expression
ElseIf condition Then
expression
Else
expression
When executing a block If (second syntax), condition is
tested. If condition is True, the statements
following Then are executed. If condition is False,
each ElseIf (if any) is evaluated in turn. When
a True condition is found, the statements following the
associated Then are executed. If none of
the ElseIf statements are True (or there are
noElseIf clauses), the statements following Else are
executed. After executing the statements
following Then or Else, execution continues with the
statement following End If.
The Repetition control
(Iteration
structure
) The repetition control structure is also known as
the looping, or iteration control structure. It is
used when a set of actions are to be performed
repeatedly as long as a certain condition is
met.
Iteration or looping is where a process(routine) is
done repeatedly. There are two forms iteration;
the Conditional and the unconditional looping.
Conditional
looping
A conditional looping is one that is repeated until a
specified condition is met. It uses a selection
process to decide whether or not to carry on a
process.
Conditional looping are of two
forms;
Do-while and do-until
The do-while repetition control
structure
This control repeats as long as a condition is true,
it tests the condition at the beginning of the loop
and, if the result of the condition is true, the
action(s) inside the loop is executed. Then the
program loops back and tests the condition again,
if the result is still true, the action(s) inside the
loop is executed again. This continues until the
condition becomes
false.
The Do -While loop
In the program below, we assign the value 100 to
number and run the while loop as long as number
is greater than 1. Inside the loop, we print out the
number and then we divide it by two,
effectively
halving it. And as expected, the output of the
program is numbers that are progressively getting
halved one after
another.
number = 100
While (number > 1)
TextWindow.WriteLine(number)
number = number / 2
EndWhile
The do-until selection control
structure
This is similar to the do-while control but has two
major differences, first the do-until control
structure tests the condition at the end of the
loop. Secondly the structure exits the loop when
the condition is true, i.e. until a condition is
met.
Unconditional looping (For
loop)
Unconditional looping are those that carry out a
process a set number of times before it ends. For
example the following code will print out numbers
from 1 to 24 before it stops;
For i = 1 To 24
TextWindow.WriteLine(i)
EndFor
Coding the program
Program coding is the actual writing of the
program to get a program source code using a
specific programming language once the design
has been developed and reviewed.
Computer programs are written using the specific
rules and statements of the particular computer
language being used, much like grammar rules in
the English language. The specific rule for writing
instructions in a particular computer language is
known as syntax. The programmer therefore must
follow the syntax of the language being used.
Arrays
This object provides a way of storing more than
one value for a given name. These values can be
accessed by another index (key). For example, the
program can store the names of individuals in class
plus their marks, address and age which can be
selected by the index.
For example, in the code below, data on individuals
of their name, age, and address is accessed using
“person” as the index
person["Name "] = " Kizito Samuel"
person["Age "] = 30
person["Address "] = " Wakiso"
TextWindow.WriteLine(person)
Variables
A variable is defined as a place in computer memory
where you can store values temporarily and use them
later, represented as a symbol or name associated with
a value and whose associated value may be changed.
Variables can represent numeric values, characters,
character strings, or memory addresses.
Rather than entering data directly into a program, a
programmer can use variables to represent the data.
Then, when the program is executed, the variables
are replaced with real data. This makes it possible for
the same program to process different sets of
Every variable has a name, called the variable
name, and a data type. A variable's data type
indicates what sort of value the variable
represents, such as whether it is an integer or a
character.
The opposite of a variable is a constant. Constants
are values that never change. Because of their
inflexibility, constants are used less often than
variables in programming.
Using variables: example (small Basic)
number1 = 10
number2 = 20
number3 = number1 * number2
TextWindow.WriteLine(number3)
TextWindow.Write("Enter temperature in
Fahrenheit: ")
fahr = TextWindow.ReadNumber()
Celsius = 5 * (fahr - 32) / 9
TextWindow.WriteLine("Temperature in Celsius
is " + Celsius)
Data types used in a programming
language
Programming languages use three main types of data:
numeric, string (or text) and Boolean variables.
Numeric variables can store integer or decimal numbers.
They can be positive or
negative.
A string variable is one that stores a string (list) of various
characters. A string can be a name, a string of numbers, a
sentence, a paragraph, any characters at all. And, many
times, a string will contain no characters at all i.e. ().
Strings are always enclosed in quotes (“). Examples of
strings: (“I am a Small Basic programmer”) (“012345”),
(“Title Author”)
Control of program
flow
Program flow is controlled by using both
Conditional operators and Logical
operators
Conditional
operators
Conditional operators are also known as numerical
comparison operators. Normally they are used to
compare two values to see whether they are equal
or one value is greater or less than the other
value, then the program decides what actions to
take, e.g. whether to execute a program or
terminate the program.
 Conditional Operators
Operator Meaning
= Equal to
> More than
< Less Than
>= More than and equal
<= Less than and equal
<> Not Equal to
Logical operators
These are operators that allow a program to make a
decision based on multiple conditions. Each operand
is considered a condition that can be evaluated to be
a true or false value. Then the value of the
conditions is used to determine the overall value of
the op1 operator op2 or !op1 or both.
Operator Meaning
And Both sides must be true
One side or other must be
or
true
One side or other must be
Xor
true but not both
Not Negates truth
Program testing and
debugging
This involves going through the program to identify
and correct errors. It also involves creating test
data to evaluate if the program generates the
expected output.
Debugger
A Debugger is special program used to find errors
(bugs) in other programs. A debugger allows a
programmer to stop a program at any point and
examine and change the values of variables.
debugging involves running the program using test
data to discover and remove any errors in the
program. There are three types of errors: syntax,
logic and runtime
errors.
A syntax error is an error in the grammar of the
programming language. These errors are caused by
typographical errors and incorrect use of the
programming language. They are usually the
easiest bugs to fix.
A logic error is an error in reasoning, such as the
incorrect sequencing of instructions, and flawed
comparisons and selection
statements.
Runtime errors are errors that occur after the
program has been tested and debugged; they
occur during the execution or running of the
program. One of the reasons these errors can
occur is if the program is stuck in an infinite loop.
Since some computers set limits for how long your
program is allowed to run, a runtime error may
occur if the loop continues up to the time limit
allowed.
Writing
instructions
Data input and storage
instructions
These instructions accept data that is entered into
the computer and store the value in the location
with the given variable names.
Commands used to input data are READ or INPUT.
Syntax: READ < Variable name>, <Variable name>
Example: READ Name, Score
Prompting
instructions
Prompting statements are used along with input
statements to request or notify the user to enter
data into the computer. These statements are
usually displayed on the screen. Prompting
instructions usually precede input
instructions.
Commands used to prompt the user are PRINT or
WRITE.
Syntax: PRINT <String>
Example: PRINT "Enter student name"
Example

Write a program to enter the base and height of a

triangle and find and print the
area.
PRINT "Enter the Base"
READ Base
PRINT "Enter the Height"
READ Height
Area = (base*height)/2
Print “area of the triangle is ” + Area + “square cms”
Output
Instructions
These instructions display (or output) the data that is
in the computer’s memory.
Commands used to output the data are PRINT or
WRITE. You can output string variables and numeric
variables as follows.
Syntax: PRINT < Variable name >, < Variable name >
Example:
PRINT Name, Score
PRINT Percentage
Outputting a string
constant
When a string constant is printed, the exact
characters within the quotation marks are printed.
Syntax: PRINT "String"
Example of variable strings;
PRINT "Opiyo is my name"
PRINT "Time"
PRINT "Sum = 3 + 4"
Outputting a string constant and a
variable
It may become necessary to output a label for a
variable to identify what is being
printed.
For example, if $4.35 is printed by itself, you may
not know what it means unless a descriptor or
label goes along with it, such as:
totalCost = $4.35
Syntax: PRINT “String”, <Variable>
Example: PRINT “totalCost", + Cost
Comparison/selection/decision
statements
It sometimes becomes necessary when processing
data to compare the value of a variable to the
value of another variable, or to compare the value
of a variable to that of a constant.
The following relational operators are used to
make such comparisons.
A condition is an expression that when evaluated
gives either a TRUE or a FALSE. This expression is
called a Boolean expression. These conditions use
the relational operators between two variables, or
between a variable and a constant.
Boolean operators
When selection is based upon one or more
expressions/decisions being TRUE or FALSE, it is
possible to combine the expressions/decisions
together using the Boolean operators AND or OR.
If the AND operator is used, both conditions must
be met in order for the total expression to be true.
If the OR operator is used, either condition must
be met in order for the total expression to be true.
Example
A club plays football only on Sundays and only if it
is not raining. Read the day and the weather and
print ‘Game on’ if it is a suitable day for playing.
With the AND operator
Both conditions must be met for the expression to
be true and for ‘Game on’ to be printed. If either
condition is not met, such as the day is not
‘Sunday’ or the weather is ‘Rain’, then the action
(printing ‘Game on’) is not
taken:
PRINT "Enter the Day and the Weather"
READ Day, Weather
IF Day = "Sunday" AND Weather = "No Rain" THEN
PRINT "Game on"
ENDIF
With the OR operator
In this case, if either condition is true then the action
is taken. So, if the day is ‘Sunday’, regardless of the
weather, the game is on. If the weather is ‘No Rain’,
regardless of the day, the game is on:
PRINT "Enter the Day and the Weather"
READ Day, Weather
IF Day = "Sunday" OR Weather = "No Rain" THEN
PRINT "Game on"
ENDIF
The FOR construct
In this construct the loop is controlled by a counter
which increases each time the set of instructions is
executed. This construct is used when the number of
times a set of instructions has to be repeated is
known.
Syntax:
FOR <Variable> = <Beginning value> TO <Ending
value> DO
<Action to be
repeated>
ENDFOR
Example:

FOR Counter = 1 TO 4 DO
<Action to be
repeated >
ENDFOR
When this statement is executed, the counter
variable is initially set to the beginning value, in
this case, 1. After the execution of the instructions
between the FOR and the ENDFOR, the counter
variable is increased by 1. The instructions are
repeated and the counter variable increases until it
becomes equal to the ending value, in this case, 4.
So the instructions are repeated four
Using Small Basic
TextWindow.Title = “wellcome Program"
TextWindow.WriteLine("Welcome to Beginning
Small Basic!")
A program is made up of many statements. Every
line is a statement and every statement instructs
the computer to do something:
TextWindow is an object built into Small
Basic – it is the window that displays the
output of the program. Objects have
both properties and methods. Properties
describe objects, while methods do things to
objects. In first single line of code, we are
setting the Title property of
the TextWindow object to the text string
“Welcome Program”. The dot (.) and
assignment operator (=) are punctuations that
must be placed appropriately for the computer
to understand your intent.
This line of code literally says “set
the Title property of the TextWindow object
to Welcome Program.”

TextWindow.WriteLine("Welcome to Beginning
Small
Basic!")
This line of code uses the
TextWindow WriteLine method to perform
the task. We say the text “Welcome to
Beginning Small Basic!” is passed to
the WriteLine method
The input is placed in parentheses – which
then results in the input text being written in
the text window.
Some basic rules of Small Basic
All keywords must be spelled correctly.
To set an object property, we use the
following ‘dot’ convention:

ObjectName.PropertyName =
PropertyValue

where ObjectName is the

object, PropertyName the property
and PropertyValue the value you want
to establish.
To invoke an object method, use this
convention:

ObjectName.MethodName(MethodInputs
)

where ObjectName is the

object, MethodName the method
and MethodInputs the inputs needed
by the method.
Small Basic has a feature called “intellisense”
that helps you type your programs faster.
When this list appears, you move through the
list using the up/down arrow keys and make a
selection by pressing <Enter>. It will appear
for object names, properties and methods.
Intellisense
As soon as you type TextWindow, this appears in
the help area of the Small Basic environment:
Small Basic provides “context-sensitive” help.
The help area will always display information it
deems is important to the user at the
appropriate time. In this case, information
concerning the properties (marked by painter’s
palette icon) and methods (marked by gear
icon) for the TextWindow object are displayed.
And, once you select a property or method, a
help description for that selection appears. For
example, once you type Title , you will see this
help screen describing the property and how
its used: